Festive London

✨ Our 19 favourite Christmas lights in London for 2026, with expected switch-on dates, a one-hour walking route through the West End, and the bus, cab and river tours we would book. The Christmas lights are the best free thing in London in winter. From early November the big West End streets switch on one…

New Year’s Eve in London is one of the city’s biggest nights of the year, and one of the few that needs planning months in advance. The fireworks over the Thames are ticketed, the boats and river-view restaurants sell out in the autumn, and hotel rates on 31 December are the highest you will see…

✨ Our 20 favourite Christmas things to do in London for 2026, with dates and booking links, plus what is open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and how to get around when the Tube stops. London in the run-up to Christmas is a different city from the one most visitors see in summer. The…